History of Indonesian Neurosurgery

The Neurosurgical service in Indonesia was started in 1948 by the initiative of Prof.Dr. C.H. Lenshoek, a Netherlands's neurosurgeon, who was born in Semarang, Indonesia. He was also the pioneer of neurosurgery in The Netherlands. At the beginning of the service the main purpose was to help the world war's victims and the basis for the service was developed at The Neurosurgical Clinic, Prince Margriet Hospital, Jln.Raden Saleh No.24 - Jakarta, financed by the Netherlands Red Cross. So, it was the first hospital in Indonesia which equipped with diagnostic, treatment and nursing as well as rehabilitation facilities for neurosurgical cases. Later, in 1950 after the transfer of sovereignty this hospital was capitulated from The Netherlands Red Cross to The Indonesia Red Cross and further to the Indonesian Government to became a part of the medical service of Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital / Medical Faculty, University of Indonesia. Op 27 april 1946 werd het Prinses Margriet Hospitaal op de Mampangweg te Batavia officieel geopend, in tegenwoordigheid van vele hoge autoriteiten". "Vermeld moet vooral nog worden, dat aan het Prinses Margriet Hospitaal in 1948 een belangrijke Afdeling werd toegevoegd, n.l. een Neuro-Chirurgische Kliniek, welke de eerste van dien aard in Nederlandsch-Indie was. Deze kliniek stond onder leiding van dr. P.R.M.J. Hanraets, die met twee volledig in de Neuro-Chirurgie opgeleide verpleegsters en een compleet instru- mentarium voor dit doel, uit Nederland was gekomen. References : Bibliotheek Nederlandse Rode Kruis: (Het eindverslag 1945- 1950 vanhet Nederlandsche Roode Kruis, afdeling Nederlandsch- Indie) To fulfil the requirement of neurosurgeon the Netherlands Red Cross assigned Netherlands's neurosurgeons by taking turns them every 6 month. They worked willingly and all of them were : Dr PRMJ. Hanraets, Dr. A.C. de Vet from Wassenaar, Dr. Wiersma from Rotterdam, Prof.Dr. Noordenbos from Amsterdam, Dr. M.P.A.M. de Groot from Tilburg and Prof.Dr. C.H. Lenshoek from Amsterdam, who later became Professor in Groningen. The last foreigner neurosurgeon was Dr.P. Albert, Spanish neurosurgeon, who extended the contract with the Indonesian government till the end of 1952. At the beginning 1953 Dr.SK.Handoyo was able to complete the neurosurgical training in Netherlands and become The First Indonesian Neurosurgeon. He returned directly to Indonesia and started to practice his profession in Princes Margriet Hospital. Five years later there were two other Indonesian doctors succeed in completing the neurosurgical training from abroad and joined Dr.SK.Handoyo in Princes Margriet Hospital. Those were Dr.Soewadji Prawirohardjo and Dr.Basoeki. For the next 10 years, the neurosurgical service grew continuously without any change in the number of neurosurgeon. Dr.SK.Handoyo and Dr.Soewadji Prawirohardjo were responsible for the neurosurgical service in Jakarta and west part of Indonesia and Dr.Basoeki was transferred to a new post in Medical Faculty, University of Airlangga / Dr.Soetomo Hospital - Surabaya to develop neurosurgical service for the east part of Indonesia. Later they were promoted to professor, Dr.SK.Handoyo and Dr.Soewadji Prawirohardjo from the Medical Faculty, University of Indonesia and Dr.Basoeki from University of Airlangga. In 1969 the neurosurgical service in Indonesia begun to be served by the next generation of neurosurgeon. Dr.RM.Padmosantjojo returned from Netherlands in 1969, followed by DR.Med.Iskarno in 1971 from West Germany. Dr.RM.Padmosantjojo was prepared to replace the predecessor in Jakarta and DR.Med.Iskarno was assigned in Medical Faculty, Padjadjaran University / Hasan Sadikin Hospital - Bandung, West Java. Both neurosurgeon were promoted later to professor and became the neurosurgical head department in each faculties. After those three Faculties / Hospitals were assigned officially as centre for neurosurgical training / teaching hospital and Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital - Jakarta became the hospital for central referral systems, the neurosurgical service expanded rapidly not only in the government provincial hospital, but also in the private and army hospitals.